An alternative approach for involutional entropion: a preliminary study.

Involutional entropion is an inward rotation of the eyelid margin because of increased horizontal lid laxity, an overriding preseptal orbicularis, atrophied lid retractors, and involutional enophthalmos. There are a myriad of surgical approaches to treat involutional entropion, but the medical co-morbidities that are common in this patient population often make a less-invasive method more appropriate. In this study, a novel and less-traumatic method was tested. Tissue shrinkage effect of the CO(2) laser was used to create cicatricial changes to treat involutional entropion in five patients. Resurfacing was accomplished with the Ultra Pulse CO(2) (carbon dioxide) laser (model UP 5005, Coherent Medical Group, Santa Clara, CA) by the help of computerized pattern generator (CPG) scanning device. The first pass was performed to the entire lower lid and periorbital area, sparing the subciliary region, using 200 mJ of energy. The second pass used the same energy level, but this time resurfacing was extended as close as the lash line. All four of the five patients available for follow-up clinical evaluation (interval between 5 and 21 months) had surgical success with no recurrence of entropion, or symptoms such as itching or irritation. One of the patients who never came back for routine was lost to follow-up. The ectropion was never seen in the long-term follow-up. This method is a suitable alternative for elderly patients with comorbid conditions that prevent them from having invasive surgical procedures.